Former national boxing champion Jeff Roberts establishes boxing gym in Berbice Arrange a card for Saturday November 9

Oct 27, 2013 Sports

---

Recently Guyana’s amateur boxers did reasonable well at the recently concluded inaugural Junior South American Games which was held in Peru. The four man boxing team that made the journey included three from New Amsterdam, Berbice in Flyweight Michael April (52kg), Junior Middleweight Travis Fraser(69kg) and Bantamweight Joel Williamson (56kg), the other being Tefon Greene(49kg).
The boxers all did made the country proud when they returned with medals. Fraser led the way with a silver medal while his teammates all won bronze medals. Fraser and April formerly of the Tiger Eye Boxing Gym and Williamson formerly of the Pocket Rocket Boxing Gym are all proud of their achievements and are looking forward for more success. Their ultimate aim is to make the Olympics, win medals and become world champions.
One of the men responsible for the height the sport once reached in the ancient county previously feels that they could achieve their goal.
The name Jeff Roberts is no stranger to the ears of sports lovers in Berbice and Guyana. Roberts, who coaches the young boxers, is a former amateur and professional multi weight boxing champion in Guyana. Roberts represented Guyana at the amateur level on numerous occasions and as a professional, won titles in the Bantamweight division in 1980 and the Featherweight title three years later is on a mission to take the sports back to the heights it once reached in the ancient country.
Roberts, who lived for some time overseas, is now back home and has established his own boxing gym, the Roberts Champion Boxing Gym (RCBG) where he has over 20 young boxers under his care. The training base is at the People National Congress (PNC) building at Strand and St Magdalene Street in New Amsterdam. His re-entry into the world of coaching has gained immediate success, with his three charges recent endeavours. Although proud of their achievements, Roberts was quick to say it is just the start of a long and rigorous journey ahead. He cautioned the boxers not to get ‘swell headed’. He feels that they all have potential to live their dream, stating that with the right training, guidance and necessary support they will make it to the top.
He said that the young pugilists have created history. “It is the first time in Amateur Boxing that we have three young junior boxers from the Ancient County age’s 17-years-old representing Guyana at the same time and all winning medals.” He said that all the boxers are from very poor home circles and needs every support that they can get.
Roberts unselfishly trains his charges every day especially when they are training for competitions.
Roberts apart from coaching is not sitting down. He has organised a 12 bout boxing card that will include the top amateur boxers around and will showcase it as a Berbice verses Georgetown card. The event is slated for Saturday 9th of November at Matthew Allen Road (Stelling road) New Amsterdam.
According to Roberts, the event is being promoted to help the boxers keep active and to help in promoting the sport in Berbice. “If we don’t keep activity for these boxers then we run the risk of them losing some of what they are being thought.”
He said the card will feature the three fighters that recently returned from Peru. He said that there are a few other youngsters who have impressed him and will be keen to show off their wares.
Roberts lashed out at the boxing officials for sitting back and wanting things to come on a platter. “They cannot just sit down in Georgetown and hope that Guyana will produce boxers. They have to get off their laurels and go and scout around the county to find boxers.”
He is very disappointed that after the boxers returned he was not even given an acknowledgement by the officials not even a phone call to say thanks or well, done. “The boxers don’t happen by themselves.” He feels that in the future if so many boxers come from one gym then that coach should be one of the coaches accompanying the boxers.
There are a lot of things that one has to undergo when under such intense training and one of the better persons that should be with them is their personal coach, especially when you have so many boxers from one gym. He said the boxers underwent rigorous training prior to leaving Guyana in their quest for championship honours.
He is grateful to opposition leader David Granger for allowing them the opportunity to use the building. He is also using the opportunity to call on the government and the business community for support in helping him to keep the youngsters off the street and away from illicit activities. (Samuel Whyte)

---

---